Author: John Scalzo

John Scalzo is Warp Zoned's Editor-In-Chief and resident retro gaming expert. You can email him at john AT warpzoned DOT com.

EA offers an update on their Star Wars projects, including 2017’s Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Posted on June 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

EA has a lot of Star Wars projects currently in development, and while none of them will be released this Fall alongside Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, this teaser trailer should give fans of the franchise a good feeling for once.

The publisher’s around-the-world tour begins in Sweden with the first details about Star Wars: Battlefront 2. Development duties on the game will be shared by DICE, Motive, and Criterion, and the game should be available sometime in 2017 (probably close to Star Wars Episode VIII‘s theatrical debut). Senior Producer Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir was coy about what shape the sequel could take, but she did say they want to add “more characters, more planets, more environments, [and] more eras” to the experience. The team is also listening to feedback from fans, so maybe we’ll finally get that single-player campaign.

Jumping into 2018, Visceral Games showed a few seconds of footage from their upcoming Star Wars game. Widely expected to star Han Solo, and directed by Naughty Dog alumnus Amy Hennig, the short clip showed a non-descript man in a duster jacket hanging around the Mos Eisley spaceport during the Empire era.

Finally, we got a quick look at a motion-capture session for Respawn Entertainment’s third-person action game. While still very early in development, the two actors were pantomiming an acrobatic Lightsaber fight, so we should expect to take control of a very experienced Jedi when Star Wars: Respawn launches in 2019.

In the more immediate future, EA and DICE will continue to add to Star Wars: Battlefront with the Bespin expansion, which will be available on June 21.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged , , ,

Titanfall 2’s multiplayer trailer packs a punch; Open Technical Test to be held prior to launch

Posted on June 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

After unveiling the game’s single-player campaign this morning, EA and Respawn blew the lid off Titanfall 2‘s multiplayer during their E3 Pres Conference with a brand new trailer. In addition to six new Titans, Respawn is adding a grapple gun to the game for faster movement and to pull enemies in for an up-close-and-personal attack:

In multiplayer, Respawn is continuing to evolve their best-in-class gameplay to provide a more robust experience that delivers expanded depth and variety that includes six new Titans, deeper Pilot abilities, more customization options, and a robust progression system that is sure to satisfy fans.

Everyone will get a chance to test out Titanfall 2’s multiplayer during an “Open Technical Test” that’ll be held sometime before the game’s launch. Respawn is encouraging fans to sign up for the Titanfall Newsletter at the game’s official website to learn more about the “Open Technical Test” in a future update.

Titanfall 2 will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 28. A Deluxe Edition, which includes instant access to exclusive Warpaints and Nose Arts, two camouflages, and more, will also be available.

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Beautiful new Legend of Zelda Wii U/NX artwork posted by Amazon

Posted on June 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

thelegendofzeldawiiu-e3

We know that Nintendo plans to broadcast their first in-depth look at The Legend of Zelda Wii U/NX on Tuesday at noon (Eastern Time), but Amazon managed to get their hands on a beautiful new piece of artwork for the game a few days early. Let’s take a look, shall we…

Rock climbing has never been part of the Legend of Zelda franchise before, but there’s Link, scaling a rockface with quiver in tow. But what I find most interesting is the image’s similarities to the NES-era Legend of Zelda map. A church stands in the lower left, with the Master Sword hidden in the grounds nearby. Beyond the church lies some kind of temple, and even further into the distance stands a foreboding volcano that might just be Death Mountain.

We’ll learn a lot more about The Legend of Zelda Wii U/NX this week during the E3 Expo, and the world will finally get the chance to play the game sometime next year when it launches for the Wii U and NX.

Posted in News, Switch, Wii U | Tagged ,

Rocket League will receive a huge “Neo Tokyo” update on June 20

Posted on June 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

Psyonix has announced that Rocket League‘s “biggest update ever” will be available on June 20. The “Neo Tokyo” update will include a brand new arena inspired by the cyberpunk fiction that first gained prominence in the 1980s, new items, an item Trade-In system, and new Trophies/Achievements.

Here’s a full rundown of everything that’s featured in the “Neo Tokyo” update:

Rocket League’s “Neo Tokyo” Update

  • The beginning of Season 3 for Competitive Playlists, which resets all skill ratings and rewards last season’s players with exclusive Rocket Boosts that reflect their final rank.
  • An Expanded Item Drop System that adds…
    • More than 20 Rare and Very Rare Item types for online, post-game drops.
    • An easy-to-use Trade In System that allows players to exchange multiple Items of one rarity type for an even rarer one.
    • New Painted Items that offer different color variations on existing Garage favorites like Toppers and Wheels.
    • Special Certified Items that track specific in-game stats and increase in prestige the higher those stats go.
  • New Quick-Chat Customization options that expand player choices for fast, in-game communication.
  • New Post-Game Celebrations that spotlight the winning team and allow them to jump, spin, and boost their car to show off their accomplishments.
  • “Pillars,” a new experimental Arena that separates the field into three lanes via two massive walls in the middle of the stadium.
  • A new, in-game “Showroom” that allows players to view and purchase all previously-released and future premium DLC.
  • Eight New Trophies and Achievements on all three platforms.

Psyonix also plans to continue the “Neo Tokyo” theme with “Esper” and “Masamune,” a downloadable pair of futuristic vehicles with an anime flair. Both cars will be available first in the retail-only Rocket League: Collector’s Edition, which will be released on July 5. Current Rocket League owners will be able to pick up both cars for $1.99 apiece beginning on July 18.

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New Titanfall 2 trailer confirms October 28 release date and single-player campaign

Posted on June 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

EA has uploaded the first trailer for Titanfall 2 just hours before the start of their E3 Press Conference. The two-minute video confirms that Titanfall 2 will indeed include a dedicated single-player campaign, which will focus on the “unique bond between man and machine”:

Pilot and Titan unite as never before in Respawn Entertainment’s highly anticipated Titanfall 2. Featuring a crafted single player campaign that explores the unique bond between man and machine, players will step on to The Frontier as a Militia rifleman with aspirations of becoming a Pilot. Stranded behind IMC enemy lines, and against overwhelming odds, you must team up with a veteran Vanguard-class Titan and uphold a mission you were never meant to carry out.

Titanfall 2 will launch for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on October 28, and we’ll get a second look at it this afternoon when developer Respawn Entertainment turns the focus towards the game’s multiplayer modes during EA’s E3 Press Conference, which begins at 4:00 PM (Eastern Time).

Posted in News, PC, PS4, Xbox One | Tagged ,

Telltale announces the cast for their Batman game and unveils four new screenshots

Posted on June 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

batmantelltale-header

The first two games in the Arkham saga will get a second life on the PS4 and Xbox One this Summer as part of the Return to Arkham collection, which will debut on store shelves just ahead of the first episode in Telltale’s upcoming Batman series. While we know all about the Arkham games, Telltale has decided to unveil their Batman project during this week’s E3 Expo.

But first, the developer wants to introduce us to the game’s voice cast, which includes Troy Baker as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Travis Willingham as Harvey Dent, Erin Yvette as Vicki Vale, Enn Reitel as Alfred Pennyworth, Murphy Guyer as Lieutenant James Gordon, Richard McGonagle as Carmine Falcone, and Laura Bailey as Catwoman/Selina Kyle.

“We’ve been hard at work at Telltale creating an all-new iteration of the iconic Batman story that puts players in the suit of billionaire Bruce Wayne, just as much as it will put them behind the mask, deciding how to carefully navigate a complex drama, rich with action, crime, corruption, and villainy lurking around every corner of Gotham City,” said Kevin Bruner, the Co-Founder and CEO of Telltale Games. “The complex life and fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne has lent itself to becoming a bold evolution of the signature Telltale role-playing experience, and we couldn’t be more excited as we prepare to debut the series to players across the world this summer.”

Five episodes in Batman: The Telltale Series will be produced, and the first will be released for the PC, consoles, and mobile devices this Summer. You can also spy a look at Batman’s comic-influenced art style after the break in the first four screenshots from the game. (more…)

Posted in Mobile, News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged ,

EA is giving Xbox Live Gold subscribers free access to all EA Access titles until June 22

Posted on June 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

Earlier this year, Microsoft and EA opened up the EA Access “Vault” to all Xbox Live Gold subscribers for a week of binge gaming. With this year’s E3 Expo set to kick off any minute now, they’re doing it again.

If you’re an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, you’ll have free to all 21 games in the EA Access “Vault” from now until Wednesday, June 22. That includes EA Sports titles such as EA Sports UFC, FIFA 16, FIFA 15, FIFA 14, Madden NFL 16, Madden NFL 25, Madden NFL 14, NBA Live 16, NBA Live 15, NHL 16, NHL 15, and Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, as well as Battlefield Hardline, Battlefield 4, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Titanfall, Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, Need For Speed Rivals, and Peggle 2. A pair of Xbox 360 games, Dead Space and Plants vs Zombies, will also be available through the “Vault” thanks to the Xbox One’s backwards compatibility options.

Xbox One interested in subscribing to the EA Access service can do so for $4.99 per month, or $29.99 for a full year. A paid subscription to EA Access also includes “Play First” rental access to several of EA’s biggest upcoming games (including Battlefield 1, FIFA 17, Madden NFL 17, and Mass Effect: Andromeda) before they’re released to the public.

Posted in News, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Weekly Warp-Up: T-Minus Four Hours Until E3 2016 Begins…

Posted on June 12, 2016 by John Scalzo

No, that’s not a typo. Welcome to the Weekly Warp-Up, your weekly wrap-up of the biggest and the best articles posted at Warp Zoned this week…

The 2016 E3 Expo will unofficially kick off in just four hours with EA’s annual Press Conference, where we’ll hear a lot about sequels, Star Wars, and sports. Bethesda has staked out a Sunday night spot for their Press Conference, and Monday will feature presentations from Microsoft, Ubisoft, and Sony. But what about the week that was?

Believe it or not, the biggest announcement from the past week wasn’t connected to E3 at all. And that’s because while Sony confirmed the PS4 Neo is real… they have no plans to showcase it during the E3 Expo. There’s no release date, no price, and no explanation about how it’s better, but it exists. And that’s enough for now.

Elsewhere on Warp Zoned this week, UK Correspondent Andrew Rainnie shined the Kickstart This! spotlight on Death Story, and I reviewed the simply amazing Superhot.

More news from this past week can be found after the break. (more…)

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